Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-22

uItalu. 4 Dt COHltUtTdtlOu our ldtuti'
| formed was never a government. II was q
fetish set up TO coniure with, when the
| pressure OF an enemy In front and their own
| patriotism made them law and govern
ment unto themselves. When peace came
they found 1t was but an image of clay, into
which they could not breathe the breath OF
life and make II a living soul, because II
had no revenue and no means OF acquiring
| any. How TO pour into the public treasury
asteady stream that shall not drain dry the
springs Of private or local prosperity,
unstained by the tears Of the poor
or the blood OF the oppressed
bow 10 keep out OF national budget the
great and greedy private interests that arc
always seeking 10 secure q lodgmeDt
therein these are questions that confront
all governments, while with us TO-DAY
the issue takes the unusual form Of how 10
diminish an excessive stream OF unneces-
sary revenue in spite Of the great and
greedy private interests that have found a
lodgment therein.
GREAT CORPORATIONS.
As TO corporations, he sand: "The state
exists to establish justice, TO protect all IT,
citizens In all their rights OF person and oil
property, 10 interposc all its power between
the rights OF its weakest citizen and the
aggressioDs Of the strong. But tue State
herself has raised up in the last twenty
years a brood of artificial persons that
threaten to defy public laws and override
private rights. Steam and electricity have
been likened TO the genii Of Arabiln mg.
tboloey. But the modern corporation more
nearly typifies those fabicd demons 30 strong
aud useful when they served, - fierce and
destructive when they rebelled or opposed.
They move the wheels Of our material pro-
g1ess, build us highways OF iron and Of
steel, tunnel the mountain and bridge the
stream. weave us garments and gather us
food from the ends Of the earth, bear us
and our heaviest burdens on unwearying
backs over the land and over the eca, speed
our me- sagcs. and keep our treasures. But
we Me learning IN recent days some OF the
evils engendcred by the growth OF these
invisible giants. A thousand iragmentary
lines of railroad have gradually. and for the
public most gsefully, fused into Il half
dozen continental systems, and 10 half
dozen great corporations controlling them
have plunged into Il fierce Industrial war,
in which the rights Of individuals and Sec
tlOns have gone for naught. In this war
OF giants We have seen the whole country
y
have lived upon the intermediate sections
that they might build up few CEN
tres OF cOngcsted wealth and popula.
tion. Ard so the highest law-maklng
power i'm the land has had 10 intcrpOse TO
moderate this ruinious strife, to restore the
natural geography OF the country, and pro-
tect the Just rights OF individuals and Of
localities
DUTY OF COLLEGES.
How different these from the issues OF
the past great as they were, they were
SINGLE, simple, often sentimental issues.
These are complex, intricate, calling for ac.
curate knowledge OF past experience,
patient and exact thou Eht, fearless study,
and the patriotism that Is willing TO deny
itself for the present that it may SOW great.
hess and safety for the future.
Who are To decide these questions? ? This
Is government OF the people and by the
people. The common schools, these nur.
series OF citizens, can give but scanl train.
ing for dealing with such issues. The mass
OF the people are absorbed in their work as
bread winners. The colleges to-day have
as never before q duty to the State OF train
ing citizens to the highest work Of citizen
ship, to direct and clarity public opinion,
strongly advocating the study Of politics,
history, and economics in their brOadest.
most scientific, aud fruitful sense. In our
colleges he illustrated by Harvard and Will
liam and Mary what two colleges have done
for this country and for the cause Of libcrtg.
Quoting from recent circular Oi the Bu-
reau OF Education, he showed that the llt.
ter institution had i'm its earlier history
given practical politics a more prominent
place in its studies than any other COLLEGE
has ever done. ont Of an average attend
ance OF sixty, Just prior TO the Revolution,
il furnished two Presidents Zone OF them
the author Of the Declaration Of lndcpend.
cncc): two supreme Court justices zone Of
them the great Chicf.JuSlice MarShai);
four signerS of the Declaration: one Pres
dent Of the Continental Congress; one
member Of the first Cabinet. Governor, Of
States. DC. Did ever school send form
such progeny TO found or serve the State:
TIE GIANTS OF Tue PAST.
"And yet" he said, al remember.
Young gentlemen, to have read in the
American. Statesmen series, that monument
of false pretencc In blue and gold, In the
life Of tins same son OF Peter Jefferson by
Mr.. Morse, editor Of that series. that Viz
ginia Just before the Revolution, the COM
munity that at the first blast OF the rcvOlu.
tiODary buole could send forth this array
Of statesmen, and add 10 them Washing
ton, Madison, the Lees, Patrick Henry,
George Mason. Taylor OF Caroline, and
scores OF others only less renowned in
State and nation, was community OF drink
ing, gambling, horsr.rsciug. lazy, uniCt.
telCd planters; aS II from the bosom OF
such a people could be gathered such a
q, ,pl. I'm
generated the great truths 50 calmly set
forth in the Declaration OF Independence
a. sell. evident 10 all men. BOcOtia could pro.
duce ore Pindar. but not the mighty attic
choir that has filed the world with its un-
dying music the barren slope Of the noun
tain may gather in some favored spot enough
OF crumbling rock and vegetable mould 10
send a single hemlock towering heaven
ward but It's fellows will be the .crubby
cedar and the Stunted pine I'm cOuclu-
sion. be asked if the old college at the old
capitol OF Virginia could produce such
men, what is the answer Of the new college
at the new capital OF Virginia TO the de.
mands Of the state? They could not eX.
meet TO attain the individual honOrs and
prominence OF this elder generation, but
lhe call OF duty was as strong to them, the
measure OF responsibility as great, and TIE
for individual improvement
greater. lie closed with few more earn.
ct words OF personal application.
MR. WILSON AND Mr.. DUNLOP.
Mr.. Wilson delivered his speech IN clear
voice and with graceful gestures, and with
scarcely a reference TO his manuscript, and
his lofty sentiments, eloquent passages, and
palpable hits brought down the house in
frequent ond rapturouS applause.
In delivering the medals Mr.. Dunlop
was in his happiest vein, and made an elo-
1uent and appropriate speech, which cap
ured the crowd ana elected the heartiest
applause.
Dr. II. II. Harris announced that the |
trustees would meet at IL o'clock to-day at |
he college.
TONIGHT.
Tonight The alumni will greet their ora |
or, Mr.. W. K. Meredith, OF Richmond, |
md the public generally are invited to an
IL